Chapter 5, The club response structure¶
The minimum structure: five people are enough¶
You have run companies, firms, hospital departments. You know that a crisis structure has nothing to do with an ordinary org chart. It is flat, fast, action-driven. In disaster, bureaucracy kills.
The disaster response structure of a Rotary club relies on five people minimum:
CLUB PRESIDENT
│ Activation decision — District liaison — Spokesperson
│
├── DISASTER COORDINATOR
│ │ Plan maintenance — Contacts — Training
│ │
│ └── DRC COMMITTEE (3 members)
│ ├── Member 1: Logistics
│ ├── Member 2: Communications
│ └── Member 3: Finance
│
└── MEMBERS DESIGNATED BY SKILL SET
(activated depending on the type of disaster)
Five people. Not a committee of fifteen that meets to decide when to meet. The rest of the club constitutes the skills pool, mobilizable as needs arise.
Role sheets¶
Club President¶
| Responsibility | Scope |
|---|---|
| Activate the emergency plan | Sovereign decision, can be made on a single call from the Coordinator |
| Liaison with the District | Direct contact with the Governor and the DRO |
| Spokesperson | Speaks on behalf of the club to the media and authorities (or designates a spokesperson) |
| Authorize expenses | Release of the club's emergency fund (see chapter 11) |
| Chair crisis meetings | Short, decision-making, daily during the acute phase |
What they do not do: - Go out in the field to distribute water bottles, they become unreachable for the DG calling with a 25,000 USD DRG - Direct field teams (that is the Coordinator's role) - Find suppliers, count stocks, log receipts (that is the DRC committee's role) - Speak alone to the media without a prior briefing with the Coordinator
The President decides, authorizes, communicates upward. They delegate execution.
Club Disaster Coordinator¶
This is the most demanding position. The Coordinator is the permanent engine of preparedness and the operations chief when the crisis strikes.
In normal times (80% of the function):
| Task | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Maintain and update the club's emergency plan | Annual + after each event |
| Update the call-down list | Quarterly |
| Update the members' resource inventory | Annual |
| Organize at least one training/drill at the club | Annual minimum |
| Participate in district training | Annual |
| Maintain the link with the District DRO | Permanent |
| Check the emergency communication kit | Semiannual |
| Test backup communication channels | Annual |
In crisis time:
| Task | Detail |
|---|---|
| Propose activation to the President | With a rapid situation assessment |
| Direct field operations | Coordinates the DRC committee, assigns teams |
| Manage resources | Allocates equipment and volunteers by priority |
| Ensure operational liaison | With local partners (Red Cross, town hall, firefighters) |
| Produce the SITREP | Situation report to the President and the District |
Ideal profile: An available member (not the one most professionally busy), organized, comfortable with procedures, who will stay in the club at least 2-3 years. An active retiree, an executive with schedule flexibility, a business owner who can quickly delegate to their deputy.
DRC Committee, 3 members¶
Each member of the DRC committee covers one domain. In normal times, their load is light, a few hours a year. In a crisis, they shift into immediate operational mode.
Member 1, Logistics
| Domain | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Transport | Coordinates members' vehicles, organizes convoys |
| Storage | Manages identified storage sites (member warehouses, club premises) |
| Distribution | Organizes points of distribution, manages stocks |
| Procurement | Supplier relations, emergency purchases |
Natural profile: business owner with a warehouse, logistics director, wholesale merchant, farmer with vehicles.
Member 2, Communications
| Domain | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Internal communications | Call-down list activation, WhatsApp groups |
| External communications | Media relations, club social networks |
| Partner liaison | Operational contact with NGOs and authorities |
| Documentation | Photos, videos, ground information collection |
Natural profile: journalist, marketing/communications director, lawyer used to media contact, teacher.
Member 3, Finance
| Domain | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Emergency accounting | Dedicated ledger from the first euro spent |
| Donation management | Reception, traceability, thank-yous |
| Purchases | Expense validation, receipt retention |
| Financial reporting | Weekly reports, TRF stewardship preparation |
Natural profile: chartered accountant, CFO, banker, association treasurer.
Map members' professional skills¶
Your members are not ordinary volunteers. They are professionals whose expertise is directly transferable to a disaster situation. The key: identify who does what in advance so you do not lose time on D-day.
Skills-missions matrix¶
| Member profession | Disaster mission | Typical deployment |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor | Triage, emergency care, health assessment | Advanced medical post, hospital liaison |
| Nurse | First aid, monitoring of minor injuries | Distribution points, shelters |
| Pharmacist | Medication management, health advice | Medical inventory, targeted distribution |
| Psychologist / Psychiatrist | Psychological First Aid (PFA) | Shelters, reception centers, volunteer teams |
| Civil / Construction engineer | Structural assessment of buildings | Disaster zones, habitable buildings or not |
| Architect | Damage assessment, repair plans | Stabilization and recovery phase |
| Lawyer | Insurance, disaster survivors' rights, disputes | Legal aid to victims, authority relations |
| Notary | Loss of documents, attestations | Administrative aid to disaster survivors |
| Chartered accountant | Emergency accounting, TRF stewardship | Financial management of the response |
| Business owner | Logistics, supply chain, management | General coordination, procurement |
| Restaurateur / Caterer | Community kitchen, food hygiene | Feeding disaster survivors and volunteers |
| Farmer | Heavy vehicles, land, storage | Transport, warehousing, debris removal |
| Electrician | Generators, repairs | Emergency power restoration |
| Plumber | Water, sanitation | Emergency repairs, WASH |
| IT professional | Communication systems, data | Digital backup, digital coordination |
| Journalist / Communicator | Media relations, social networks | Crisis communication |
| Teacher | Organization, group management | Childcare, activities in shelters |
| Translator | Multilingual communication | Liaison with non-native speaking populations |
| Real estate agent | Knowledge of the local housing stock | Identification of temporary housing |
| Insurer | Claims procedures | Aid to disaster survivors for filings |
This matrix is a starting point. Each club must personalize it with the actual professions of its members. The full inventory of skills is covered in chapter 7.
Fundamental principle: In a disaster, each member is deployed first according to their professional skills, not according to their seniority or rank in the club.
Succession plan: when the President is unreachable¶
The disaster may strike the President themselves. Their house is destroyed. They are injured. Their phone is under the rubble. They are traveling abroad. Or simply, the network is saturated and no one can reach them.
Without a succession plan, the club is paralyzed at the very moment it should be acting.
Emergency chain of command¶
| Order | Role | Authority in absence of the previous person |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Club President | Full authority |
| 2 | Disaster Coordinator | Activates the plan, directs operations, authorizes emergency expenses (defined cap) |
| 3 | Immediate Past President | Assumes the presidential function for district liaison |
| 4 | President-Elect | Takes over if the first 3 are unreachable |
| 5 | Club Secretary | Ensures administrative continuity |
Succession rules¶
-
Grace period: If the President is unreachable for 2 hours after the start of the event, the Disaster Coordinator activates the plan on their own authority.
-
Delegated spending cap: The Coordinator can commit up to an amount defined by the club (recommended: 500-2,000 USD or equivalent) without presidential sign-off. Beyond that, the President or Past President must be reached.
-
Mandatory notification: Any activation without the President must be notified to the District (DG or DRO) within 6 hours.
-
Reversibility: As soon as the President becomes reachable again, they resume command. They validate or adjust the decisions made, without canceling them retroactively except for serious cause.
Succession sheet to complete and distribute¶
Each member of the succession chain keeps a laminated copy:
EMERGENCY CHAIN OF COMMAND
Rotary Club of ___________________
#1 — President: __________________ Phone: ____________
#2 — Coordinator: ________________ Phone: ____________
#3 — Past President: _____________ Phone: ____________
#4 — President-Elect: ____________ Phone: ____________
#5 — Secretary: __________________ Phone: ____________
Delegated spending cap: ________ USD/EUR
Grace period for activation: 2 hours
District contact: DG _____________ Phone: ____________
District contact: DRO ____________ Phone: ____________
Updated: ___/___/______
Practical tip: Test this chain. During a tabletop exercise (chapter 10), simulate a scenario where the President is disaster-affected. You will quickly discover whether #2 knows their responsibilities, or whether this sheet is just a piece of paper.
Integrating Rotaract and Interact¶
Rotaract (18 and older, with no upper age limit since 2019) and Interact (12-18) are not "junior" clubs to whom you assign subordinate tasks. They are active forces with specific skills that Rotarians generally do not have, and considerable field energy.
What Rotaract brings¶
| Strength | Disaster application |
|---|---|
| Digital natives | Real-time social media management, digital mapping, messaging-based coordination |
| Availability | Often more flexible than professionally active Rotarians, quickly mobilizable |
| Physical energy | Debris removal, distribution, structure assembly, difficult terrain |
| University network | Mobilization of students in medicine, engineering, social sciences |
| Multilingualism | Generations often more internationally connected |
What Interact brings¶
| Strength | Disaster application |
|---|---|
| Donation collection | School campaigns, charity sales, parent mobilization |
| Youth communication | Messages tailored to youth networks (Instagram, TikTok) |
| Moral support | Activities for children in shelters (games, entertainment) |
Operational integration¶
- Before the disaster:
- The Rotaract President is invited to the club's disaster trainings
- A Rotaractor is appointed "Rotaract DRC liaison"
- Rotaract takes part in the club's tabletop exercises
-
Rotaract contacts are in the call-down list (dedicated branch)
-
During the disaster:
- The Rotaract liaison joins the extended DRC committee
- Rotaractors are integrated into field teams (never alone, always overseen by an experienced Rotarian)
- Social media management can be delegated to Rotaract under the supervision of Member 2 (Communications)
-
Interactors stay out of the danger zone, their contribution is upstream (collection, communication) and downstream (moral support, entertainment)
-
Absolute rule: Minors (Interact) are never deployed in the field in a disaster zone. No exception. Their contribution is channeled into safe, supervised activities, away from danger.
Lessons learned: Rotaract is not improvised on D-day, it is prepared with you, and then deploys up to 40% more volunteers in the first 24 hours.
Setup checklist¶
- Disaster Coordinator appointed (minimum 2-year term recommended)
- DRC Committee constituted (3 members: logistics, communications, finance)
- Role sheets distributed to the 5 people in the structure
- Skills-missions matrix filled out for each club member
- Succession chain defined, signed by the President, distributed to the 5 levels
- Delegated spending cap voted by the club's board
- Rotaract President informed and DRC liaison appointed
- Structure presented to the entire club at a dedicated meeting
- Contact established with the District DRO
The structure is in place. It is useless without the content you put in it: inventoried skills, formalized contacts, planned communications, constituted funds. That is the subject of the six chapters that follow.